Development of arcs burning in non-reacting liquids

For electrothermal acceleration the use of evaporation processes is an efficient way to convert electrical energy into pressure pulses. This can be done by the ignition of arcs in liquids. In order to optimize the energy transfer it is important to learn more about the processes in detail. Investigations were carried out to improve the knowledge of energy transfer. Arcs burning in liquids have been recorded. A high-speed rotating mirror camera and a single-shot camera system were used. Both camera systems allow exposure times of about 1 μs. Experimental investigations of arcs burning in liquids at several 100 A, ignited by wire explosions, have shown that the wire explodes irregularly, influencing the arc expansion and the electrical power; and the arcs are surrounded by metal vapor of the exploded ignition wire, which absorbs the arc light partly. The arcs expand with velocities of several 10 m/s. The electrical power increases with higher initial pressure values due to an improved heat transfer